South caeolina



3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

E. U. RIGHAR D.

Car-Brakes.

Patented sepremberQ, 1873.

zneffef v 3Sheets-Sheet3. E.. 0. RICHARD.

Car-Brakes. N0, 143,187, IPatentedSeptemberZS,18734..

I-znarev. 57522 2227? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMOND o. RICHARD-,- OE QUEBEC, CANADA, AssIeNoE on UNE-HALE Eis EIGHT 4To JEAN E. RICHARD, on ooLUMBIA soUTE CAROLINA, AND

JOSEPH C. RICHARD, OF QUEBEC,

CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT |N AE-ERAKES'.

'specification forming partof 'Letters Patent No. 143,157, dau-.u september 213, 1873; application inea Jury 3, 1873.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND O. RICHARD, of Quebec, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new 'and valuable Improvement in Combined Gar Brakes and Couplers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation carin succession from the rear car, or from any of them, and whereby the uncoupling of the rear car, or of any car in the train, will cause the brakes to be put in operation automatically with all the power due to the steamhead and momentum of the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the engine; and B and C, vcars attached thereto, the latter being the rear car. There may be any number of` intermediate cars, B, all of which will be .similarly arranged. Each car is provided with a coupling device, D, capable of being adjusted to uncouple automatically, when actuated by a rise or jump ofthe car to a certain height, in accordance with which the adjusting-lever ,is set. The adjustment is made in accordance with the depth of hange of the wheel'and the roughness of the road. It is not always` essential that the coupler should be adjustable, but the automatic uncoupling by the risc or jump of the car is indispensable. Each -leys to the engine again.

car `is also provided with swinging brakes, having pulleys Vatt-ached to carry theV brake chain or rope, which is designed to run `from the engine back `to the rear car free ofthe brakes, and then forward over thebrake-pul- The brake-chain is made in sections,uarranged to uncouple between the cars. The engine is provided with a windlass, to which one end of the chain is attached, the other end being fastened tothe en gine brake or frame securely. The windlass is designed to be brought into connection with the shaft of the engine-wheel `by means of clutches or other devices, which may be operated by a lever 'conveniently arranged in thecab. y I i i A When it is desired to stop the train, the lever is actuated to bring the windlass into connection with the shaft of the engine-wheel. The upper or free branch `of the chain will first be tightened throughout the length of the train, after which the lower or return branch, which is connected with the brake-pulleys, willbe. drawn tense from the rear, and will effect the application of all the brakes of the train in succession from the rear, the engine-brakes being nally brought to bear. Similarly,

`should a car jump the track, it will 4become uncoupled, and will act as an anchor to draw the brake -chain tight, the momentum and steam-head of the engine serving to eect a most powerful application of the ,brakes iu succession from the rear, as above described.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred Inode of applying my invention, the letter a indicates the shaft of the en gine-wheels, to which the windlass is connected. Upon this shaft are secured the clutchdisks c and c', the former of which is provided `with a conical friction-bearing on the inside of lthe rim-flange, while the latter is recessed or slotted for the engagement of the clutch-studs.

E designates the windlass, consisting of a sliding sleeve, b, having rigidly attached at one end a friction-disk, e, at the other end the disk e,bearingthe clutch-studs a', and centrally the grooved collar b. vThe disk e is provided with a beveled or conical periphery to correspond with the friction-bearing of the A clutch-disk c. This 'beveled or conical pe:

outward. The clutch-studs a of the disk el are'designed to engage with the slots or recesses of the disk c', and are beveled at one end in such a manner that in backingthe engine they will naturally free themselves from said slots. The grooved collar b is adapted to engage with a swivel-bracket, d, connected to the under side of an arm, f, which is pivoted at one end to the frame of the engine, and provided at the other end with a connecting-arm, g, which is pivoted to a horizontal disk, h, journaled to the en gine-frame, and connected by another link or arm, g', with the operatinglever F. To the arm f is also attached a spring, i, which is designed to bear on the under side of the collar b to steady the windlass-sleeve on the wheel-shaft. If two chains are employed, as is indicated in the drawings, one end of each may be attached to a stout link passing through a perforation in the collar b', whence the chain passes to the end of the engine-frame through a metal-lined chain-hole, k, and terminates in a coupling hook or link, l. G indicates the brake-blocks connected with a swinging frame, H, which may be kept off the wheels, when not drawn up by the chain, by means of springs or other suitable devices. To the swinging frame H, in rear of the blocks G, are attached the pulleys m. Blocks a of any form may be attached to the under side of the car-frame at suitable distances apart, to support the brake-chain whenever necessary, and metal-lined chain-holes l are designed to be provided at each end of the car for the passage of the brake-chain. These are provided with pulleys 19, either single or double, for the passage of the chain. Instead of the chainholes rigidly constructed in the frame of the car, blocks with single or double sheaves may be employed. The brake-chain V consists of a number of sections connected between the cars by means of coupling devices, so that they can be easily detached when the cars are uneoupled. If two chains are used, each car will be provided with four sections of chain, of which the two upper sections form portions of the upper or free branches, and the two lower sections portions of the lower branches, which are connected with the pulleys m.

The coupling devices, by which the cars are connected and disconnected, are chiefly attached to a bumper-frame, K, which may consist of several longitudinal bars, q, connected with the draw-head r by transverse bars s. This frame is pivoted at its rear end to the is pivoted, o'n the transverse shaft t, a joint, a,

designed always to be square with the spring,

,whatever be ythe angle of the frame K, as this may be adjusted higher or lower to suit cars of different heights. The bars q are of different lengths, that on one side being extended at q to form a finger adapted to fit, when two cars are coupled together, between two hin ged plates respectively attached to the :short bar q on the same side of the opposite car. The short bar q on the opposite side of the drawhead is provided on its upper surface with a hinged plate, w, bearing near its forward end a standard, j", slotted at its upper end for the passage of the lever-bar g', which is fulcrumed at its outer end to a standard, h', connected to a frame, K. The bar q is provided with a slide groove or way for the reception of a slide-bar, 7c', having a wedge-shaped rise or cam, l', abruptly shouldered at its forward end. This slide may be moved forward by means of a handle, m', to support the plate fw and keep the coupling-pin raised. Below the bar q is attached, by a hinge-connection at its rear end, a plate, n',

sometimes slotted, when the handle m of theupper plate passes through it, and bent downward and forward at its front end to form an inclined plane, o', which projects under the extension g of the opposite bar q of the opposite frame K. A staple P', or other support may be passed under the draw-head, at its forward portion, to support the frame K, said staple or support having sucient length to allow the requisite play to said frame, which is directly suspended by its forward end to an adjustable lever, 1"', by means of an arm, s. The adjustable lever r is pivoted to the carframe, and slotted at its rear end to receive a pin, t', designed to enter any one of a series of perforations, u', of a plate, c', also attached to the car-frame. By the adjustment of the lever r the frame K may be suspended at any height desired, to correspond with the height of the coupling devices of the opposite car. The forward end of the plate u is supported by a staple or loop, wf, and a wedge or key, w, is provided for the purpose of holding the plate up against the under side of the bar g when the cars are coming together in the coupling operation. In this manner the extension q ofthe opposite coupling-frame K'is brought directly to bear against the projecting end of the slide 7c', driving it home and releasing the upper plate w, which falls, dropping the coupling-pin into the coupling-link in the cavity of the draw-head. The coupling-frames are carefully adjusted, by means of the levers e", to regulate the height at which the coupling-pin will be drawn by a jump of the car. This is sometimes necessary, as the same car may pass over roads of rough character as well as over smooth roads. Where the character of the road is uniform a constant adjustment will serve. The jump of the car raises the extension q' of its coupling-frame K, thus throwing up vthe plate zo, and with it the coupling-pin of the opposite car, uncouplin g the two from each other.

As in railway accidents it commonly happens that the cars are thrown laterally,.the

windlass-disks, and all pulleys and openings through or over which the brake chain or rope passes, should be rounded or dared, to prevent catching or parting said chain or rope, onthe continuity of which may hang many valuable lives.

I have indicated above a convenient and economical means of applying my invention. As these devices may be varied in many ways well known to those skilled in the art, I do not desire to confine myself to the precise construction described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a windlass or other winding device on the engine and car-brakes having suitably-arranged pulleys, of a brake chain or rope connected by both ends to the engine, and engaging by its return branch with said pulleys, substantially as specified.

2. The' combination, with an automatic uncoupling device, of an automatic car-brake, substantially as specified.

3. The hinged coupling-frame K, bearing on one side of the draw-head the extension q', and

the spring at the rear of the draw-head, substantially as specified.

6. The arrangement of the winding device, brake-chain, and pulleys, whereby the brakes are operated in succession from the rear, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDMOND OVIDE RICHARD. Witnesses: i

GEORGE E. UPHAM, Jos. B. LooMrs. 

